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Azerbaijan starts natural gas exports to Syria

2025-08-04 14:38:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Azerbaijan has officially started exporting natural gas to Syria, marking a new step in its growing role as a reliable energy supplier. Initial shipments — amounting to 1.2 billion cubic meters (bcm) per year — are passing through Turkey and are expected to increase to 2 bcm per year.

The gas originates from the Shah Deniz offshore field in Azerbaijan and travels through the South Caucasus Pipeline, continuing through the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) on Turkish territory and is delivered to Syria through a new extension of Turkish infrastructure, the Kilis–Aleppo pipeline, which reaches major urban centers such as Aleppo and Homs.

The deal is seen as a step forward for Syria, where the country's energy infrastructure has been devastated by more than a decade of conflict. The Azerbaijani gas will help restore several power plants with a total capacity of 1,200 megawatts, enabling the increase in electricity supply to major Syrian cities from 3–4 hours a day to 10 hours.

The inauguration ceremony took place in the border town of Kilis, marking the first time that Azerbaijani gas has been transported to the Middle East via this route. The ceremony was attended by Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar, Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir and the Director of the Qatar Fund for Development, Fahad Hamad Hassan Al-Sulaiti.

During his speech at the inauguration ceremony, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Economy, who is also the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan), Mikayil Jabbarov, emphasized: “This project not only increases our energy export capacities, but also strengthens our cooperation with the countries of the Middle East.” He described the project as a turning point in the history of Azerbaijan’s energy exports. This is the 14th country to receive gas from Azerbaijan — an impressive statistic for a nation that, just two decades ago, was considered a peripheral player in global energy markets. Today, through SOCAR’s international expansion and strategic diplomacy, Azerbaijan is becoming an indispensable link in the global energy chain.

The Minister of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey, Alparslan Bayraktar, welcomed the signing of the agreement with SOCAR for the delivery of Azerbaijani natural gas to Syria and emphasized that Azerbaijan, which has always stood by Turkey in difficult and good times, has once again shown its unwavering support through this project.

The Minister of Energy of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mohammad Al-Bashir, stressed the importance of improving the welfare and progressing the reconstruction of Syria, which has suffered from years of war. He expressed his gratitude to the governments of Azerbaijan and Turkey for their support.

This project is not just about energy. It is about dignity, stability and a return to normal life. Syria has suffered immensely from more than a decade of war, with its infrastructure destroyed and millions of people displaced. Access to electricity is a first step towards rebuilding schools, hospitals, water systems and livelihoods. It is also a necessary prerequisite for the safe and voluntary return of refugees, a shared goal of all of Syria’s neighboring countries.

It is also worth noting that the gas deliveries to Syria followed another historic milestone just a few days ago — the first-ever delivery of Azerbaijani gas to Ukraine via the Trans-Balkan pipeline network. The agreement between SOCAR and Naftogaz (Ukraine) leverages existing connections through Bulgaria and Romania, offering Kiev a viable alternative to Russian gas amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.

As is known, in April of this year, the project for the gasification of the city of Korça was presented by SOCAR, with the participation of the highest Albanian officials. Currently, both parties continue their cooperation to complete the legal phase of the project so that it can move to the implementation phase next year. Therefore, there are good chances that Albania will be the next country to receive natural gas from Azerbaijan./ CNA